Le Concert de l'Hostel Dieu
Sunday July 26th - 9 pm / Church of Valloire
Anna Giraud, Vivaldi's muse
by Le Concert de l'Hostel Dieu, direction Franck-Emmanuel Comte
The daughter of a French wigmaker established in Mantua, mezzo-soprano Anna Giraud met Antonio Vivaldi in the same city. The young girl and the musician became friends; he gave her lessons, which continued in Venice at the Ospedale della Pietà. Fascinated by the woman who would become one of the leading prima donnas of La Serenissima, the Red Priest composed for Anna no fewer than ten of his early roles. L’Anima del Prete rosso, as the Venetians nicknamed her, thus became the Prima donna of such major works as Griselda, Orlando furioso (Alcina), Bajazet…
Although she did not display the virtuosity of the great castrati, she was renowned for her many qualities: expressive singing, a flattering vocal range in the lower register, the charisma and charm of an attractive figure and, above all, consummate acting talent, which earned her praise from Goldoni. The period also retained the atmosphere of mystery and scandal surrounding the supposed amorous relationship between the master and his muse.
Le Concert de l'Hostel Dieu
Founded in 1992 by Franck-Emmanuel Comte, Le Concert de l’Hostel Dieu is a major player on the French Baroque scene. The ensemble is distinguished by its sensitive and dynamic interpretation of the 18th-century vocal and instrumental repertoire, based on a rigorous historical and philological approach.
The ensemble takes a particular interest in the Baroque manuscripts preserved in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, revealing the close links between Lyon and Italy. Intent on creating a dialogue between Baroque music and our era, it also develops cross-disciplinary projects combining different aesthetics and cultures.
Transmission and exchange are central to its creative work, along with numerous awareness-raising activities. Le Concert de l’Hostel Dieu has given more than 1,700 concerts in France and abroad, and its recordings have been widely acclaimed by the specialist press.
Blandine de Sansal – mezzo-soprano
Trained at the Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris, Blandine de Sansal won First Prize at the Froville International Baroque Singing Competition in 2022, as well as the Audience Prize. Since then, she has performed a wide repertoire of sacred music, under the direction of Sébastien Daucé, Damien Guillon, Paul Agnew, Raphaël Pichon, Bertrand Cuiller, Stéphane Fuget, Jean-Christophe Spinosi, Louis-Noël Bestion de Camboulas, Gaétan Jarry, Franck-Emmanuel Comte and Stefan Plewniak. Among her latest roles is that of Orpheus in Gluck’s opera.
Franck-Emmanuel Comte – harpsichord and direction
Conductor and harpsichordist specialising in the Baroque and Classical repertoire on period instruments, Franck-Emmanuel Comte aims to share his passion with as many people as possible. After his studies at the CNSMD in Lyon, his reputation quickly extended beyond borders.
Passionate about the Baroque repertoire as well as cross-disciplinary projects, he created the ballet Folia with choreographer Mourad Merzouki, a resounding success. He has recorded some twenty albums, including The Ghosts of Hamlet, which was widely acclaimed by the international press.
Franck-Emmanuel Comte is also the artistic director of La Trinité in Lyon, the Centre Musical International J.-S. Bach in Saint-Donat and the Festival Baroque du Pays du Mont-Blanc.
Program
Pieces by Vivaldi.
Cast
Blandine de Sansal, mezzo-soprano
Franck-Emmanuel Comte, harpsichord & direction
Reynier Guerrero, violin
André Costa, violin
Martyna Grabowska, viola
Aude Walker-Viry, cello
Nicolas Janot, double bass
Morgan Marquié, theorbo
The projects of Le Concert de l’Hostel Dieu are supported by the City of Lyon, the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region, DRAC Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, the Centre National de la Musique, SPEDIDAM, ADAMI and CPPF.